Theorist Project: Theories Of Child Development

Improved Essays
John Pena 3-3-16
Theorist Project
There have been many theories on child development, each with their own unique focus. Child development theories focus on explaining how children change and grow over the course of childhood. Some of the world’s best known theorists in child development were Sigmund Freud, Abraham Maslow, Jean Piaget, and Erik Erikson. Sigmund Freud believed that there was more than one aspect of the human personality. Freud saw the human personality structured into three parts: the id, the ego, and the super ego. The id works in keeping the pleasure principle, which can be understood as a demand

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In order to describe both the ego and the id Sigmund Freud uses an analogy. Freud compares the ego to a horseback rider, while the id is seen as the horse that is being ridden. According to Freud the ego is like a man on a horseback who tries to guide the horse (id); however, the horse does everything possible to oppose the ego and insist on doing what seems pleasurable. The id is a powerful force who tries to dominate over the ego, yet the ego does everything possible to find enough strength to be able to dominate over the id. Although the id, or in this case the horse, is very powerful, the ego, or horse rider, must do whatever is necessary to take the id’s desires into account and transform them into rational actions.…

    • 167 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Conclusion Psychologists formed several theories about childhood development. Each one took a different perspective on developmental stages and provided guidelines to assess a child’s developmental level compared to their age group. Bandura’s theory focused on observation and imitation of behaviors (Crain, 2011). Erikson’s theory expanded on Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and provided details of development that surpassed just satisfying physical desires (Crain, 2011). Piaget’s theory focused more specifically on the cognitive abilities of the child and the limitations of a younger child’s thoughts versus an adult’s thoughts on similar situations (Crain, 2011).…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The most intreating thing I find out about child development programs is that The teacher and the parent will have a close partnership with each other so they can be able to support each other when coming to the child. Child development is a period of physical, cognitive, and social growth that begins at birth and continues through early adulthood. The child development theories are Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky. A child development programs are based on studies of the theories. According to Piaget, cognitive development would be evident in how care teacher follows the interest of the child and provide a variety of books and toy this will help the children with their large motor skills for infants and toddlers.…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One of the first people to become a theorist was a man named Jean Piaget born in Switzerland in 1996. He avowed that” there are four main stages from birth to adulthood theses are; sensoirmotor stage, preperational stage, concrete operational stage and formal operations stage. As a early years student we can also generate our own opinion on the theories by observing a chosen child in placement and comparing them to the theory’s. Not all people agree with them, `How Children Learn 2008 Linda Pound p38` suggests that “Piaget’s interest was primarily in how children learn as opposed to what or when they might…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Erikson’s Theory Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is an expansion from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Freud’s theory focused on the early childhood years of birth to adolescents (Thomas, 2005). Erikson, in his…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Psychologists have created different theories to explain and determine what it means to have a healthy personality. Sigmund Freud was one of them. It was Freud’s belief that personality characteristics should be fully developed by early childhood. His theories contained the idea that unconscious conflicts and motivations in childhood are the basis for personality and that if a child’s needs are not met; it will result in difficulties in adulthood. Freud created this theory, now referred to as the psychodynamic theory of personality, out of his experiences with patients with conversion disorder, a mental condition that provides physical symptoms with no medical explanation.…

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The character of Batman is considered to be one of the world’s classic and modern day superhero. His story has taken on many different forms from comics, to TV series, and to today’s modern cinematography. However, I want to discuss the story of Batman and its famous characters based off of the 2000’s version of the current films. We have all come to know Batman as a vigilante who fights bad people as he conceals his true identity as Gotham’s renowned playboy and millionaire, Bruce Wayne. I want to use the personas of Bruce Wayne, Batman, and the well-known villains of this universe because of how they relate to the many ideas used in psychology.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    People have been studying the development of children for centuries. Their research has helped future generations understand how students learn, behave and their characteristics. There have been many theorists, but four of the most well known are Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Sigmund Freud, and Erik Erikson. Each one of these theorists has informed practice and the understanding of young children 's characteristics and needs. The understanding of each theorist “helps us to look at the facts from different perspectives” ().…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Theoretical Perspectives One of the grand theories of human development is the psychoanalytic theory created by Freud and Erikson. The psychoanalytic theory (also known as psychosexual) “holds that irrational, unconscious drives and motives, often originated in childhood, underline human behavior” (Berger, 2011 pg.39). Freud believes that nature (genetics) and nurture (environment) have a large impact on the child’s development. Also most of the decisions a child makes comes from their id. A child’s id is the “raw unorganized inborn part of personality that is given at birth and is often driven by pleasure” (Berger, 2011 pg.39).…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The study of human development became an exciting subject, as western civilizations grew very fond of the concept of self, during the past 2 centuries. The main focus of early developmental theorists was childhood development, since it is during that time that humans undergo most of their physical and cognitive changes. Original theories are based on stages of biological, emotional, social and cognitive development. While Darwin conducted probably the first scientific study of developmental psychology, at the beginning of the 20th century, Freud’s theory of psychosexual development caused an uproar that masked preceding ideas.…

    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His ideas were greatly influenced by Sigmund Freud, explored three aspects of identity: the ego identity (self), personal identity (the personal idiosyncrasies that distinguish a person from another, social/cultural identity (the collection of social roles a person might play) Erikson, E. H. (1950). Erikson classified human development into a series of discrete stages. There are eight stages of development in his theory, from infancy and childhood to adulthood (Erickson, E. (1958)). Erikson’s stages start with birth and end with death.…

    • 1266 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Human is the most complex creature. Scientist Throughout the ages seek to know more about the human nature. They made lots of theories and hypotheses to know more about Human soul. In the human there are lots of conflicts, feelings, dreams, thoughts and moralities. One of the most famous scientists that cared about the human soul is Freud.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Freudian theory acknowledged three subsystems in the personality which operates within the three regions of the mind, the id, ego and superego. The basis of the category centers on the function that each particular subsystem performs. The Id refers to the basic core within a personality, dominated by instincts and impulses, is fully functional during birth and located in the unconscious region of the mind (Carducci, 2009). It involves innate stimulus such as hunger, urges, desires, and impulses operating primarily on the pleasure principle. A principle that states the propensity of immediately seeking ease from the tension created to attain pleasures that eventually leads to gratification.…

    • 1790 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development Developmental psychology is an area of research dedicated to the understanding of child-development. Throughout history many theories have been formulated to attempt to explain this process. Two of the most important theorists were Sigmund…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reflection Paper #1 Throughout this semester I have learned a great deal about human relations, which I did not know previous to taking this class. Thus far, I think that I have learned briefly some of the major concepts involved in the academic study of human relations. Throughout this class I have engaged in critical thinking and introspection and I have been able to apply human relation principles to my personal and professional life.…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays